An Authentic Hurdy-Gurdy

by Wilfried Ulrich

Originally published in American Lutherie #77, 2004 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015



The dispute between guitarists and hurdy-gurdists is an old one. In the early 1700s, when French aristocrats became interested in playing the hurdy-gurdy and pretty good composers such as Baton, Chedeville, and others began to compose for it, prominent guitarists contended that the hurdy-gurdy was only good enough for cat music! However, the queen was an eminent player of the instrument, and the two daughters of King Louis XV were trained by Charles Baton. A hurdy-gurdy teacher of the time is said to have wanted to change the outstanding and worthy guitar of a marquis into a hurdy-gurdy. In his opinion, this was the only fit use for such an instrument.

The hurdy-gurdy and the musette (a small bagpipe) were the beloved instruments of the leading society. To dignify the instrument, its origin was attributed — without proof — to ancient Greece.